Hygroscopic fuel blends and processes for producing same

ABSTRACT

A synthetic fuel is provided. The synthetic fuel includes a base fuel having a first energy density and a compound, the compound including a water absorbing agent for absorbing water from the base fuel to prevent poor combustion and an explosive agent having a detonative energy value that is sufficient so as to provide the compound with a second energy density equal to or greater than the first energy density.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/347,647, filed Jun. 9, 2016, which is herebyincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure is directed to hygroscopic fuel blends andprocesses for producing same. In some embodiments, the fuel blendsdisclosed herein can absorb water and provide an enhanced energy outputfor use with internal combustion engines.

BACKGROUND

The present invention is in the field of fuel compositions, for example,those used with internal combustion engines. Such engines may be used invarious vehicles and other applications, including automobiles, trucks,locomotives, airplanes, and electric generators. Such engines maycomprise four cycle or two cycle engines.

For any given mechanical design a range of possible dynamic reactionswill allow an engine to create useful work from molecular chemicaltransformations by chemical and/or physical processes. For example,Rudolf Diesel's original diesel engine first ran on peanut oil and HenryFord designed his Model T to be a flex-fuel vehicle running on gasolineor alcohol (e.g., methanol) and proclaimed that alcohol was the fuel ofthe future.

Gasoline, the average American's idea of a “fuel”, is not a homogenoussubstance. Rather, it is a mixture of hundreds of different moleculesand additives to impart specific characteristics, such as corrosionresistance. Petroleum based internal combustion engine fuels aretypically produced by being separated from crude oil by distillation andisolating predominately a distribution of alkane compounds centeredaround 8 carbons (octane) for gasoline and 12 carbons (cetane) fordiesel.

Nicolas Carnot was a French physicist and military engineer who, in his1824 “Reflections on the Motive Power of Fire”, gave the firstsuccessful theoretical account of heat engines, now known as the Carnotcycle, thereby laying the foundation for the second law ofthermodynamics. He is often described as the “father of thermodynamics”,being responsible for such concepts as Carnot efficiency, Carnottheorem, the Carnot heat engine, and others. The maximum efficiency isdefined as the change in temperature between the combustion temperatureand the exhaust temperature divided by the combustion temperature.

Political, economic, as well as chemical factors, can determine a fuel'scomposition. Consider the introduction, then abandonment, of tetra-ethyllead, the “Farm Belt Subsidy (51 cent/gallon)” for 10-15% corn-basedethanol in gasohol, E-85 (with 85% ethanol in summer and 70% in winter),or the California state ban on MTBE, along with many more examples ofadditives and compositional restrictions.

The European Fuel Quality Directive allows up to 3% methanol with anequal amount of co-solvent to be blending in gasoline sold in Europe.China uses more than one billion gallons of methanol per year as atransportation fuel in both low level blends used in existing vehicles,and as high level blends in vehicles designed to accommodate the use ofmethanol fuels, an M-85 gasoline substitute and M-15 gasohol made fromcoal. Gasoline and diesel, each including hundreds of components, aswell as methanol and ethanol, which are largely single chemicalcomponent fuels, use additives to achieve desired lubricity,anti-corrosive, anti foam, and other characteristics to make themsuitable as fuels in a particular use. MTBE was added to gasoline toprovide oxygen to reduce emissions. Ethanol has replaced MTBE, and isalso used to provide oxygen. There is currently a 51 cent per gallon taxcredit for use of ethanol in the US, so oil companies can add 10%, ornow 15% for use in newer vehicles, to reduce the cost of the fuel. Theconsumer may pay less per gallon for E-85, but this price reduction isoften less than the decrease in energy per gallon that is reflected in areduction in the miles per gallon (MPG) provided by such fuels. Thechief advantage of a methanol fuel is that it could be adapted topresent internal combustion engines with a minimum of modification inboth engines and infrastructure to store and deliver liquid fuel.Approval of a competing blend fuel stock is a major blessing for theethanol industry which has fallen victim to extreme volatility; withcorn prices high due to the drought of 2013 creating a feedstockshortage. Methanol production from the booming natural gas industryresults in lower capital and operating costs, and provides readilyavailable means of shipping to market.

In the USA in 2011, the Open Fuel Standard Act of 2011 was introduced inthe US Congress to encourage car manufacturers to warrant their cars toburn methanol as a fuel in addition to gasoline and ethanol. A renewablecharacteristic of fuels is clearly desirable. Ethanol made from corn,sugar, algae, or of other vegetable origins, as well as biodiesel madefrom animal or vegetable fats, is considered renewable. Methanol may bemade in a two-step process from coal or a simplified one step processfrom natural gas (which is largely methane). The natural gas can comefrom renewable feed stocks of biogas from sludge digestion withinlandfills, from wood, or other organic matter.

The world first used carbon based fuels in the form of wood, peat, andcoal. Over time, the world began using petroleum derived hydrocarbons tobum hydrogen with carbon. Such petroleum based hydrocarbons (such asgasoline and diesel) provide a hydrogen to carbon ratio between about 2and 3 to t Now alcohols (particularly methanol) offer even greaterhydrogen content in the fuel. Each hydrogen contains twice the energy oncombustion of a carbon with 1/12th the weight, and produces water andnot carbon dioxide. These are very desirable conditions associated withhydrogen as a fuel in terms of its impact on the environment. Thehydrogen to carbon ratio of hydrocarbons is typically between 2 and 3 to1, with ethanol providing 3:1 and methanol providing 4:1.

Fuels, particularly petroleum-based fuels, have been generally viewed tobe both (a) combustive agents and (b) compositions designed to foster,or average-out, heterogeneous chemical reactions. Fuels are oftendesigned to be fungible in their particular compositional mix. For agiven volume of fuel added to the active “combustion” chamber of anengine, the induced chemical transformation is considered to be asingle-valued, average “bum”. For a gasoline or Otto cycle four-strokeengine, the effect is ideally defined to be: adiabatic compression, heataddition at constant volume, adiabatic expansion, and rejection of heatat constant volume. For a diesel engine, the effect is ideally definedto be: isentropic compression, reversible constant pressure heating,isentropic expansion, and reversible constant volume cooling. The effectis summarized as: Work out (Wout) is done by the working fluid expandingagainst the piston, which produces usable torque.

With the introduction of oxygenated gasoline, water phase separationbecame a major concern. Water in gasoline can have different adverseeffects on an engine and is the most common form of fuel contamination.It is possible to cause engine shut down or significant loss of powerwhen water is introduced. Many fuels contain some water in suspension.Temperature changes can cause suspended water in the fuel to coalesceand settle out. Water is denser than fuel, so it always settles out tothe bottom of the tanks. Water is saturated in fuel at the rate ofapproximately 1 mg/liter/° F. (1.8 mg/liter/° C.). That is, at 70° F.(21° C.), a liter of fuel will contain 70 mg of water in suspension.Then, at a lower temperature of 50° F. (10° C.), the fuel will contain50 mg in the same liter. That means that 20 mg of water was dropped outof the fuel by cooling it only 20° F. (11° C.). In a 10,000 gallon(37.85 cu. m) tank of fuel, this would amount to about almost a quart(757 cc) of water collected in the bottom of the tank (FIG. 3). Water isintroduced into tanks with the condensation of air as tank contentschange from usage, bringing in air that is saturated with water athigher temperatures, then cooling to create a “dew” on the inside of thetank. External seepage or leakage during rains may also cause water toenter tanks. Particularly in underground tanks, during ice or snowbuildup or very heavy rains, shallow ground water tables, etc. leakagecan be a significant problem. Fuels delivered into tanks will beacclimatized with water pooling at the bottom of the fuel tank in 72hours or less. Water in fuel tanks, lines, injectors, filters, etc. willfreeze more readily than the fuel. Most fuels freeze at lower than −20°F. (−7° C.); water freezes at 32° F. (0° C.). Water allowed to remain inhydrocarbon fuel (aviation and diesel) cultures a microorganism orbacteria that feed on the hydrocarbons in the fuel. These microorganismswill produce offspring (spores) which become active and produce coloniesand mats of growth. The colonies of microorganisms produce slime, whichclog filters by covering the media. Water in suspension in burning fuelreduces the amount of energy available (BTUs/KCals), and will result inless horsepower output.

There is a body of literature that teaches the following limitations andrules for designing fuels for internal combustion engines, which rulesare commonly used by persons designing such fuels:

-   -   1. A class of compounds used as cetane number improvers in        diesel, that when added to gasoline, have no effect on the        performance of the gasoline;    -   2. Acetone, when added to gasoline, improves the mileage up to a        dosage of about 3 fluid ounces per 10 gallons of gasoline and        beyond that dosage, a further increase in acetone dosage        decreases the mileage from the 3 oz/10 gal peak. At a dosage of        approximately 6 ounces per 10 gallons of gasoline the mileage is        approximately the same as with no acetone;    -   3. 3.30% by volume of nitromethane in methanol is the minimum        dosage of nitro-methane that can be used as a fuel.

Internal combustion engines are typically about 25% efficient. Thismeans that only about 25% of the energy in the fuel becomes usefulmechanical energy. The rest is wasted energy, mostly in the form ofheat. The most thermally efficient internal combustion engines arediesel powered electrical power generators that approach 51.5% thermalefficiency.

Additional combustion principles can be found in Combustion, 4'h Ed., I.Glassman and R. A. Yetter, ©2008 Elsevier, Inc., p. 261

262 and Combustion, Irving Glasser and Richard A. Yetter, 4'h Ed.,©2008, Elsevier Press, ISBN 978-0-12-088 573-2, p. 46), each of which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Combining combustive waves, both deflagrative and detonative, within anengine can create a far higher effective torque and consequentefficiency by joining the immediate kinetic ‘kick’ of the detonativewave and the sustained pressure of the deflagrative wave on the pistonhead during the power stroke. Devising a fuel blend that will, for agiven range of combustive fuels that contain up to 20% separate phasewater by volume (gasoline, ethanol, methanol, butanol etc. or mixturesthereof), intermix to form a solution with the stabilizing andnon-detonative combustible material is best done by devising adynamically stable solution of the two parts. This solution is one wherethe molecular pressures of the stabilizing combustive fuel continuallycage a core material together with water molecules whose dipole natureforces it into dispersion, so as to extend the combustive limit to thedesired volume at the moment of ignition.

For a given stabilized combustive fuel sub-unit (gasoline, ethanol,methanol, alcohol, or other known combustive liquid), a class ofdetonative sub-fuel unit components can be determined through analysisof the parameters of the stabilized fuel's component's dipole density(which is the molecular weight divided by the dipole moment at 20degrees centigrade measured in Debye) and then constraining thecomposition's mixture to those solutions which will exist in dynamicequilibrium within the stabilized combustive fuel. Temporarytransformations between the molecular compounds found in the resultingsolution form a distributing dynamic ‘cage’ solution, as the core ofmaterial of the detonative sub-fuel component is distributed in a uniquemolar ratio of component organic compounds through, as the principalforce, the stabilized combustive fuel sub-unit's dipole moments.

In an embodiment, a fuel additive is provided. The fuel additiveincludes a compound for adding to a base fuel to provide the base fuelwith (1) hygroscopic properties and (2) detonative potential energy. Thecompound includes a polar protic agent in an amount from about 2% toabout 10% by volume of the compound. The compound also includes a polaraprotic agent in an amount ranging from about 10% to about 32% by volumeof the compound. The compound also includes an explosive agent in anamount ranging from about 15% to about 32% by volume of the compound.The compound also includes a nonpolar agent in an amount ranging fromabout 2% to about 10% by volume of the compound.

In some embodiments, the polar protic agent includes one of methanol,ethanol, butanol, n-propanol, or combinations thereof. In someembodiments, the polar aprotic agent includes one of acetone,nitromethane, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, or combinations thereof.In some embodiments, the explosive agent includes one of nitroalkanessuch as, for example, 2-ethylhexyl nitrate, dinitromethane, ortrinitromethane, IsoOctane, acetone, acetone peroxide, or combinationsthereof. In some embodiments, the detonative agent is 2-ethyhexylnitrate. In some embodiments, the nonpolar agent includes one ofpetroleum distillates such as, for example, liquefied petroleum gas,naphtha, kerosene, jet fuel, diesel, heavy fuel oils, or lubricatingoils, benzene derivatives such as, for example, phenol, toluene,aniline, or biphenyls, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, thefuel additive includes at least one additional polar aprotic agent.

In another embodiment, a synthetic fuel is provided. The synthetic fuelincludes a base fuel having a first energy density. The synthetic fuelalso includes a compound. The compound includes a water absorbing agentfor absorbing water from the base fuel to prevent poor combustion. Thecompound also includes an explosive agent having a detonative energyvalue that is sufficient so as to provide the compound with a secondenergy density equal to or greater than the first energy density.

In some embodiments, the synthetic fuel includes about 15% to about 85%by volume of the base fuel and about 15% to about 85% by volume of thecompound. In some embodiments, the water absorbing agent has a lowerenergy density than the first energy density. In some embodiments, thewater absorbing agent includes one of methanol, ethanol, acetone, orcombinations thereof. In some embodiments, the explosive agent includesone of nitroalkanes such as, for example, 2-ethylhexyl nitrate,dinitromethane, or trinitromethane, IsoOctane, acetone, acetoneperoxide, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the base fuelincludes one of gasoline, diesel, biodiesel, jet fuel such as, forexample, JP1, JP2, JP3, JP4, JP5, JP6, JP7, JP8, JP9, JP10, Jet A, JetA-1, or Jet B, avgas, ethanol, methanol, butanol, naphtha, orcombinations thereof. In some embodiments, the compound also includes apolar protic agent. In some embodiments, the compound also includes apolar aprotic agent. In some embodiments, the polar protic agent and thepolar aprotic agent form a molecular cage for encapsulating theexplosive agent within the compound.

In still another embodiment, a method for using a synthetic fuel isprovided. The method includes providing a synthetic fuel. The syntheticfuel includes a base fuel. The synthetic fuel also includes a compoundincluding a water absorbing agent and an explosive agent. The methodalso includes combusting the base fuel to produce mechanical and thermalenergy. The method also includes releasing, by an endothermicsolvenation reaction initiated by the mechanical and thermal energy, theexplosive agent from the compound. The method also includes detonating,in the presence of the mechanical and thermal energy, the releasedexplosive agent.

In some embodiments, the method also includes injecting the syntheticfuel into a combustion chamber of an engine. In some embodiments, thestep of combusting also includes producing a spark from a spark plug ofthe engine. In some embodiments, the step of combusting also includespressurizing air in the combustion chamber. In some embodiments, themethod also includes absorbing, by the water absorbing ingredient, waterin the synthetic fuel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a general representation of a water molecule outside apossible schematic structure in which the detonative fuel component is‘caged’ or surrounded by the stabilizing fuel component. The cage may bea buckyball (Buckminster fullerene) including 5 or 6 other polygonalsided faces as shown;

FIG. 2 shows a general representation of a possible schematic structurein which the water molecule has been absorbed into the ‘ caged’structure together with the detonative fuel component surrounded by thestabilizing fuel component.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the early 1800's the basis for the theory, that is now widelyaccepted, of the dissociation of salts and other compounds in water waslent compelling evidence as a plausible explanation from the observedphenomena that the mixture of salt and water had a lower freezing pointthan either salt or water in neat condition. From this the existence ofdisassociation into cations and anions was deduced and stoichiometricanalysis was recognized. Polarity wherein one end of an organic moleculeis positively charged and separated from the end that is negativelycharged or less positively charged thus effectively determines or atleast underlies many thermodynamic properties observed in chemistry suchas solubility, melting and boiling points.

Just as the ionic disassociation theory was lent compelling logic by theexperimental work showing a lower freezing point for salt in water so,too, is there now a compelling argument that small molecules withgreater dipole moments hold together a structure, or form a dynamic‘cage’ for larger, nitrated molecules when mixed together in solution.

This ‘cage’, a fullerene, is any molecule composed entirely of carbon,in the form of a hollow sphere, ellipsoid, or tube. Spherical fullerenesare also called buckyball, and they resemble the balls used inassociation football. Cylindrical ones are called carbon nanotubes orbuckytubes. Fullerenes are similar in structure to graphite, which iscomposed of stacked graphene sheets of linked hexagonal rings; but theymay also contain pentagonal (or sometimes heptagonal) rings.

The “mortar” which holds the fullerene structure together is smallmolecules with relatively high dipole moment densities (e.g., greaterthan about 1.5 D, preferably greater than about 2 D) and the “bricks”are larger nitrated molecules. Furthermore, such a combination producesan unexpected previously unknown benefit in that the energy density ofthis “cage”, when used in an engine, is greater than the sum of theenergy of the components of the cage when measured by a calorimeterusing conventional teachings (i.e., thereby producing a synergisticinteraction).

The cage molecule performs best when mixed with 1/10 the concentrationof nitromethane and 500 times the amount of acetone believed optimal forinternal-combustion engine fuels, and allows the cetane-improving nitrocompound to positively impact the performance of a gasoline engine.

Gasoline storage tanks may contain varying amounts of separate phasewater depending upon the tank volume. Water is the most common fuelcontaminant. A process for creating a fuel that can effectively removewater from the storage containers by absorbing/adsorbing and capturingthe water inside the dynamic cage molecule eliminates the need forcostly removal and disposal of water from storage containers.

Many potential substitutes for gasoline or other petroleum-based fuelsare simpler hydrocarbons with lower ‘energy’ values, when measured incombustive terms. Methane, ethanol, methanol, and biodiesels, forexample, are generally considered to be more stable and less combustivethan gasoline-because they provide less bang for the combustive buck,and because they are generally less dense containing fewer carbons andthe associated hydrogen molecules. Other potential substitutes were tooenergy dense.

There are other molecular chemical transformations that releaseenergy—and in higher values if properly applied—than mere combustion.Combustion waves come in subsonic (deflagration) and supersonic(detonation) values within their respective limits of flammability ordetonation.′ In one embodiment, the present invention is directed tofuels, fuel additives; and methods of producing such materials thatresult in enhanced mechanical energy output while absorbing water fromthe gasoline component of the mixture. It is believed that this enhancedmechanical energy output may result from an ability to safely commingleand harness different combustion waves in order to make for a morethermally efficient internal combustion engine.

Combining deflagrative combustion with a detonative or explosivecombustion wave within an engine can create a far higher effectivetorque and consequent efficiency by joining the immediate kinetic “kick”of the detonative or explosive wave and the sustained pressure of thedeflagrative wave on the piston head during the power stroke. Devising afuel blend that will, for a given range of combustive fuels (e.g.,gasoline, diesel, ethanol, methanol, butanol, or mixtures thereof),intermix to form a composition with the stabilizing and non-detonativecombustible material while absorbing water, may be accomplished bydevising a dynamically stable solution of the two parts. Methanol hasabout half the thermal energy density of gasoline, so that two gallonsof methanol are required to provide the same thermal energy as onegallon of gasoline. Butanol has about an equal thermal energy density ascompared to gasoline. One and one half times the volume of ethanol isrequired to have the same thermal energy as one gallon of gasoline.

In the present invention, the added materials depart from theconventional Carnot heat engine principles. These materials do not addto the thermal energy density of the fuel, but result in a secondaryreaction under the conditions existing in the internal combustion enginecreating additional mechanical energy while absorbing water and coolingthe engine from the inside. In other words, the fuel may be blended toprovide the same combustive energy density as measured by calorimetry,(e.g., 128,700 BTU/gal as for diesel), but in which, because one or moreof the components produces a detonative or explosive wave and anotherabsorbs water in the mixture, the apparent energy density is higher.

In the present invention, the physical chemistry of the Carnot cycle issupplemented by the physical chemistry of the present invention. Theengine provides something of a chemical processing plant withtemperatures and pressures available to make the secondary reactionsoccur. This composition is one where the molecular pressures of thestabilizing combustive fuel continually “cage” a core detonativematerial together with water molecules whose dipole nature maintains thecage assembly in place until heat is available to overcome the bondingforces from relatively weak dipole attractions. The heat provided bycombustion of the base combustive fuel provides the energy necessary todrive a solvation reaction, which breaks down the “cage”, which isfollowed by detonation or explosion of the detonative material. Thedetonation accelerates the large mass of combustion products into thepiston. The cage allows the explosive material to survive combustion andpersist to detonate even with the water molecule present. If theexplosive material were simply combusted, it would only add a smallincrement to the heat density of the fuel, providing only a small (ifany) increase in Carnot efficiency. Instead, the explosive in thesecondary reaction is characterized by detonation with associatedsupersonic velocities to dramatically increase the apparent thermalefficiency of the engine. When the cage breaks down, the water moleculesare released as water vapor together with the outgases of the engine.

Water is known as the universal solvent, having the highest dipolemoment density, with a high dipole moment and a relatively smallmolecular weight. Methanol has a lower dipole moment density, butapproaches the usefulness of water as a solvent. The solvation orsolution reaction, by which sugar or another material dissolves inwater, is an endothermic reaction requiring the input of heat.Detonation of an explosive is similar, as it requires an input of energy(or activation energy) to achieve detonation.

According to one embodiment, the detonative fuel component material maybe used to raise the energy density of gasohol, ethanol, or methanol tothe energy density of gasoline. For example, a “Hygroscopic Fuel”product may be an M-85 product similar to E-85 in that it contains 85%methanol in summer and 70% in winter but with the detonative fuelcomponent at a dose of as little as one part to 1,000 parts andproviding an apparent energy density about equal to that of gasoline. Byway of another example, a “Hygroscopic Diesel” product may be blendedwith diesel fuel at one part to about one hundred parts of diesel,increasing the MPG of the vehicle by as much as two times. According toone embodiment, a gallon of “Hygroscopic Diesel” may contain about 0.1%detonative fuel component, about 0.1% of a stabilizing, water absorbingand enhancing combustive mixture, and about 99.8% biodiesel, which canbe made from a constant feed stock such as soy beans.

In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a process forproducing an internal combustion engine fuel. The process comprises: (1)selecting a petroleum based fuel to be replaced which contains up to 20%water by volume; (2) identifying its combustive, performance, and energyvalues; (3) selecting a polar, small-molecule hydrocarbon (e.g., having4 or less carbon atoms, for example, acetone and/or an alcohol) having aknown deflagrative combustion value as a fuel stabilizing component; (4)comparing the known deflagrative combustion value of the fuelstabilizing component to the energy value of the petroleum-based fuel tobe replaced; (5) calculating the relative energy deficiency of the fuelstabilizing component against the petroleum-based fuel to be replaced;and (6) forming a fuel mixture by combining with the fuel stabilizingcomponent that amount of a detonative fuel component which will providean energy density sufficient to substantially equal the combustive,performance, and energy values of the petroleum-based fuel to bereplaced.

For a given stabilizing combustive fuel component (e.g., ethanol,methanol, propanol, butanol, their isomers, or combinations thereof), aclass of detonative fuel components can be determined through analysisof the dipole density of the other fuel components. The dipole densityis the dipole moment at 20° C. measured in Debye of the particularcomponent divided by the molecular weight of the component. The fuelcomposition is then constrained to those mixtures which will exist indynamic equilibrium between the molecular compounds found in theresulting solution of the stabilized combustive fuel. A mixture is thenformed by mixing a selected detonative fuel component (e.g., anitro-alkane such as 2-ethylhexyl nitrate) with the stabilizingcombustive fuel component so as to form a distributed dynamic “cage”solution in which the detonative fuel component is dispersed within thestabilizing combustive fuel component as a result of the dipole momentof the stabilized combustive fuel component. The fuel unit may comprisea concentrated mixture that may be diluted by adding to another basefuel material.

In another embodiment, the present disclosure is directed to a fuelblend including the stabilizing fuel component and the detonative fuelcomponent (interchangeably referred to herein as a core polar componentor material) blended together with a base combustive fuel (e.g., dieselfuel, gasoline, methanol, ethanol, or other combustible liquid fuel)that contains separate phase water. Such a fuel blend providessignificantly improved performance within internal combustion engineswhile removing the separate phase water up to 20% by volume from thefuel storage container.

These and other benefits, advantages and features of the presentinvention will become more fully apparent from the following descriptionand appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the inventionas set forth hereinafter.

A process for devising a stable and usable hygroscopic liquid fuel thatcombines deflagrative and detonative combustion waves suitable for usein internal combustion engines would enable the partial or completereplacement of petroleum-based fuels with fuels that include a higherhydrogen to carbon ratio. As a general rule, the greater this ratio, thecleaner the emissions. The ability to substitute a “Hygroscopic Fuel” or“Hygroscopic Diesel” for gasoline or diesel substantially lowers theemissions of vehicles, reduces the carbon footprint and solves thevexing problem of water in fuel containers. For example, for each 100gallons of diesel saved by use of “Hygroscopic Diesel”, one carboncredit is earned, shrinking the carbon footprint of diesel fuel use.

A single “treatment” of the proposed fuel blend can potentiallyeliminate up to 20% of the separate phase water from any fuel storagecontainer returning it to the environment as water vapor and thecorresponding fuel mixture would retain its enhanced energy output. Toretain the actual effective energy provided within each “burn unit” ofthe new fuel, something would need to be added to the lower energydensity substitutes that would remain stable until burned, yet providesufficient extra energy to balance out the greater stability of the basefuel. The process is self-limiting so that over-dosing is not a danger.For the reaction to occur, it is necessary to have the core polarmaterial at a given concentration in the bulk fuel. However, this isnecessary, but not sufficient to have the desired detonation reactionoccur. What limits the reaction, no matter how much detonative materialis present, is the availability of heat.

Solid or non-reactive molecules would not remain dispersed within themixture (e.g., they may precipitate out), but too-weakly linkedmolecules might dissolve during “non-operating” times when the enginewas turned off. What is needed is some additive that would continuallyslip between and amongst the molecules of the stabilizing fuelcomponent, yet remain dispersed rather than clumping or congregatingtogether. This conceptualization of the necessities leads to a processof evaluating detonative fuel components to be added to a basicstabilizing fuel component, as well as the final combined mixturesphysical properties and chemical interactions.

The combined, dynamically-stable fuel unit comprises a mixture ofcomponents providing deflagrative and detonative combustion waves,wherein the different components are held together in a particular molarratio principally through the dipole moment(s) of the small moleculestabilizing fuel component. The detonative fuel component (sometimesherein referred to as the core polar material or component) ishomogeneous in composition when measured at the general level of theentire fuel unit, yet it may exist in dynamic equilibrium where it formsand reforms differentiated molecular combinations as the liquid respondsto gross motions. For any of the simpler hydrocarbons chosen for thebasic stabilizing fuel component, the detonative fuel component belongsto a class of combustible or explosive materials that are defined byreference to the dipole density of the stabilizing fuel component. I twill be understood that each of the stabilizing fuel component(s) andthe detonative fuel component(s) may each comprise two or moresubcomponents (i.e., each may be a mixture as well).

In tests performed on internal combustion engines (ICE), the fuelformulation had an energy density as measured by a calorimeter that isgreater than the energy density of methanol and less that the energydensity of gasoline. Methanol has an energy density that isapproximately one half of the energy density of gasoline. However, inthe ICE the formulation including the core material performs similar togasoline as measured by a calorimeter. This difference between thecaloric measured value and the apparent energy density may be termed thevirtual energy density (VED). The actual energy density in the ICE isthe sum of the caloric measured specific energy and the VED. Because theVED is derived from non-caloric functions, the heat associated withcombustion is less and there is less waste heat to be removed, makingair rather than water cooled engines possible when the formulationincluding a core material is used as a fuel.

Cetane number or CN is a measure of a fuel's ignition delay, the timeperiod between the start of injection and the first identifiablepressure increase during combustion of the fuel. In a particular dieselengine, higher cetane fuels will have shorter ignition delay periodsthan lower cetane fuels. Cetane numbers are only used for the relativelylight distillate diesel oils. For heavy (residual) fuel oil two otherscales are used, Calculated Carbon Aromaticity Index (CCAI) andCalculated Ignition Index (CII).

The higher the cetane number the more easily the fuel will combust in acompression setting (such as a diesel engine). The characteristic diesel“knock” occurs when the first portion of fuel that has been injectedinto the cylinder suddenly ignites after an initial delay. Minimizingthis delay results in less unburned fuel in the cylinder at thebeginning and less intense knock. Therefore higher-cetane fuel usuallycauses an engine to run more smoothly and quietly. This does notnecessarily translate into greater efficiency, although it may incertain engines.

Generally, diesel engines operate well with a CN from 40 to 55. Fuelswith higher cetane number have shorter ignition delays, providing moretime for the fuel combustion process to be completed. Hence, higherspeed diesel engines operate more effectively with higher cetane numberfuels.

In Europe, diesel cetane numbers were set at a minimum of 38 in 1994 and40 in 2000. The current standard for diesel sold in European Union,Iceland, Norway and Switzerland is set in EN 590 with a minimum cetaneindex of 46 and a minimum cetane number of 51. Premium diesel fuel canhave a cetane number as high as 60.

In North America, most states adopt ASTM D975 as their diesel fuelstandard and the minimum cetane number is set at 40, with typical valuesin the 42-45 range. Premium diesels may or may not have higher cetane,depending on the supplier. California diesel fuel has a minimum cetaneof 53.

The fuel mixture in the present invention maintains octane/cetaneratings above standard limits.

The present invention teaches that a process exists for a given basicstabilizing fuel component which comprises the vast majority of the fuelmixture; and whose energy densities, molar, and solvent characteristicsare known; and which is preferably one of the simpler hydrocarbonshaving 8 or less carbons, more preferably 4 or less carbons, and in oneembodiment having 1 or 2 carbons. A suitable balancing fuel additive(i.e., the detonative fuel component) together with water absorbingcomponents can be determined that will produce the requisite VED whenthey are combined for use within an internal combustion engine. Althoughthe value of the deflagrative and detonative effect within any given ICEmay depend in part on the fuel mix which the ICE was designed for, onemay assume that most engines were designed to use standard octanes ofgasoline or standard cetanes of diesel. Knowing what the effect of theVED must be, and also knowing the values for the basic stabilizing fuelcomponent, one can determine a set of possible fuel additives which willprovide the combined hygroscopic, deflagrative and detonative effect.This may be done by determining a specific molar ratio of a givencompound in the core that needs to be maintained based on the selectionof the compound(s) that serve as the explosive and the one or morecage-forming compounds. Further, the cage materials preferably have adipole energy density (DED) in the range of twice the DED of the solventportion of the core material and in the range of 25% or more of the DEDof the explosive material of the core material (e.g., a nitrogencontaining explosive such as a nitro-alkane).

Both methanol and water are small polar protic solvent molecules. Ananalogy may be made here that water is the universal solvent, andmethanol assumes a similar role of solvent in some embodiments of thefuel mixture.

One theoretical structure for the fuel mixture is shown in FIGS. 1 and2. The structure may be likened to a soccer ball with panels of theball-like structure in polygons with the explosive molecules and thewater molecules positioned inside the structure. The explosive moleculeis thought to be part of the outer Fullerene-like buckyball structures,with polygonal faces forming a cage and the inner explosive molecule maybe another Fullerene-like structure of nitromethane molecules arrangedin four molecule sub groups, forming an inner cage.

The core structure is subject to detonation by the spark initiated inthe confined space during the downward power stroke. The core structuremay be fully compressed with the expanding gases traveling at about Mach1.8 (1.8 times the speed of sound) to impart momentum onto the cylinder.This action sufficiently compresses other core caged structures (CCS) tocause a chain reaction of detonation within the combustion chamber. Thespeed of a combustion wave is subsonic and is approximated to less thanMach 0.1. An explosion wave travels at about Mach 6 to 10. Thedetonation results in at least 18 times the momentum imparted onto thepiston as compared to combustion that occurs in an ICE fueled bygasoline if we assume the same mass of combustion products. The VED isgreater than the DED of the products in the detonation of the CCS. Inone embodiment, the DED is approximately one half the DED of gasoline.

The compression of 2-ethylhexyl nitrate at detonation velocity forms theadiabatic compression wave that continues the detonative effect withinthe detonation limits of both the methanol fuel and the combustionchamber. The amount that combusts in each power stroke is presumed, inone embodiment, to be the amount of fuel (with additive) fed into thecombustion chamber by the standard internal combustion engine.Obviously, other engines, with larger cylinders, stronger metallurgy,lower cycle speeds, or other design changes (e.g., two-, four- orsix-stroke, Stirling engine, Wankel engine, marine diesel, power-stationdiesel, or other use engines) will have their own optimal fuel+additiveformulations. These may be devised through the same process andcalculation of needs, limitations, and molecular qualities as for theabove described embodiment.

An engine designed for gasoline travel at about 60 miles per hourgetting about 30 miles per gallon burns about 4.3 ounces (0.205 pounds)per minute and 3.02 pounds of air at 14.7:1 stoichiometric ratio. Anengine designed to use the cage core fuel dispersed in methanol in anon-detonation formulation running at about 60 miles per hour andgetting about 300 miles per gallon burns 0.42 ounces (0.0205 pounds) perminute and 0.1 pounds of air at a 4.9 to one stoichiometric ratio. Thereduced air flow allows for a reduced number of cylinders to two fromfour, six or eight and reduced running RPM. So an automobile enginewould be replaced by a motorcycle or lawn mower sized engine matchedwith the fuel feed system of a smaller engine. The fuel could be usedwith two cycle engines as well as four cycle engines.

In a preferred embodiment, the core material may be blended with thesolvent (e.g., methanol) to produce a shock stable product at about28.5% or more methanol. For example, concentrations of methanol may beup to about 95% V/V to make a fuel substitute or a replacement for theethanol that is blended in US gasoline. For example, one typical blendedethanol gasoline includes up to 10% V/V ethanol, while other formulasmay include higher fractions of ethanol (e.g., a winter formula biofuelmay typically contain about 85% ethanol and about 15% gasoline toprovide sufficient volatile concentration to initiate combustion atcolder ambient conditions, another formulation use 70% ethanol and 30%gasoline).

The use of the core material as a substitute for ethanol blendedgasoline at 10 or 85% V/V is favored because the products will havesimilar cost but the hygroscopic methanol enhanced with the CCS has aVED equal to gasoline so the fuel will produce similar mileage asgasoline fuel. An additional and substantial advantage of methanol vs.ethanol as a fuel is that methanol may be readily manufactured frommethane gas present in biogases from refuse, compost, and natural gas,not from food products such as corn, typically required to make ethanol.

Use of methane also produces lower levels of common pollution emissions.The lower levels of emissions do not require any more stringent orefficient clean up by exhaust devices or e.g., addition of urea todiesel exhaust. For example, methane has a greater ratio of hydrogen tocarbon, which produces less carbon dioxide emissions per unit of energyproduction and less residual materials that must be absorbed by theenvironment. The world's history of energy supply has moved from carbonbased fuels with little or no hydrogen (e.g., wood, peat and coal) tohydrocarbon fuels (e.g., gasoline, diesel and natural gas). Eachhydrogen atom has ½ the weight of an atom of carbon but delivers twicethe energy on combustion to water as compared to an atom of carbon oncombustion to carbon dioxide. Coal has an infinite carbon to hydrogenratio and thus is the poorest choice for a fuel in terms of carbondioxide production, which is the foundation of global warming concerns.Gasoline and diesel have a 2.0 to 2.5 to 1.0 hydrogen to carbon ratio,depending on the particular components of the mixture. The presentinvention in one preferred mode employs a methanol fuel component thatsupports a 4 to 1 hydrogen to carbon ratio and is well suited tominimize global warming effects from combustion of fuels.

An engine designed specifically to be fueled by caged core material thathas 28.5% V/V methanol solvent requires a significantly lower fuel flowthan if it were fueled by gasoline, because the VED of the presentinventive fuel exceeds the DED of gasoline. The oxygen content of thepresent inventive fuel supplements oxygen from air so that a lower airto fuel ratio is required than the air to fuel ratio for gasoline. Inaddition, the cooling effect of the high heat of vaporization associatedwith the methanol and core material components allows more air to beadded. Because a portion of the VED is associated with the structure ofthe caged core, there is less waste heat, and air cooling rather thanwater cooling of the engine may be possible. An engine specificallydesigned to be fueled by the present inventive fuel at a maximum corematerial concentration would have approximately 10 times the energydensity, about 150 ml of displacement, two cylinders, and a 1 gallon gastank. Such an engine and vehicle would have a similar range to agasoline engine auto mobile, but much improved cost per mile, 400 milesper gallon, $25 a gallon for fuel, and a torque/horsepower profile morelike a diesel engine than a gasoline ICE.

Testing was performed on multiple vehicles showing an average increaseof 15% MPG.

For the detonative fuel component of the fuel mixture to ship safelywithout risk of explosion on agitation, a production package, as in onepreferred embodiment, may incorporate a portion of the base stabilizingfuel component (e.g., methanol) to serve as a “containing” orstabilizing shipping adjunct to the detonative fuel component. In theexample of a gasoline replacement that uses methanol as the basestabilizing fuel component, the product may comprise in its shippingstabilized form the following percentages by volume, which include acorrosion inhibitor, an ignition enhancer, a power enhancer and a waterabsorbing component sufficient for a final product:

TABLE 1 Component Volume % Nitromethane 31.784% 2 - Ethylhexyl 21.375%Nitrate - ignition enhancing component Acetone 10.595% Water absorbing2.602% component Ethanol 0.002% Corrosion inhibitor 0.186% Powerenhancing 33.457% component

Although Table 1 provides a specific example composition, it will beapparent in view of this disclosure that variations are possible. Forexample, in some embodiments the composition can include thenitromethane in a range from about 10% to about 32% by volume. In someembodiments, the composition can include the water absorbing componentin a range from about 2% to about 10% by volume. In some embodiments,the composition can include ethanol in a range from about 0.002% toabout 10% by volume. In some embodiments, the composition can includethe power enhancing component in a range from about 10% to about 49% byvolume. In some embodiments, the composition can include the2-ethylhexyl nitrate in a range from about 15% to about 32% by volume.In some embodiments, the composition can include acetone in a range fromabout 3% to about 15% by volume.

Another exemplary composition has the following components:

TABLE 2 Component Volume % Methanol (MEH) 81.8% 2 - Ethylhexyl 0.033%Nitrate - ignition enhancing component Acetone 0.015% Water absorbing2.60% component Ethanol 0.002% Corrosion inhibitor 0.093% Powerenhancing 0.047% component Conventional 15.41% Gasoline BlendingComponents (CBOB)

Although Table 2 provides a specific example composition, it will beapparent in view of this disclosure that variations are possible. Forexample, in some embodiments the composition can include the methanol ina range from about 5% to about 93% by volume. In some embodiments, thecomposition can include ethanol in a range from about 0.002% to about30% by volume. In some embodiments, additional methanol, additionalethanol, or another component can be included as the water absorbingcomponent. In some embodiments, the composition can include theconventional gasoline blending components (CBOB) in a range from about7% to about 51% by volume. Corrosion inhibitors can include, forexample, zinc dithiophosphates, DCI-4A, DCI-6A, DCI-11, DCI-28, DCI-30,DMA-4, other suitable corrosion inhibitors, and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the particular amount of methanol or other polarsmall molecule hydrocarbon necessary to stabilize the detonative fuelcomponent may be determined by adding sufficient methanol (or other) tothe detonative fuel component until there is no longer a possibility ofreaction occurring for the 2-ethylhexyl nitrate (e.g., upon agitation orimpact). The high MPG engine briefly described above may optionally usethe above with a small amount (e.g., 20 ml of the additive package for a20 gallon volume).

When methanol comprises between about 85% and about 93% of the finalblend, the nitromethane about 0.05%, the 2-ethylhexyl nitrate about0.03%, the acetone about 0.02% and the base stabilizing fuel component(gasoline) about 7% to 15%. The amount of methanol is adjusted primarilydue to the amount of water dissolved in the gasoline and the amount ofwater that has separated out from the gasoline at the bottom of thetank. Other formulations of the blend that contain small amounts ofother components are derived based upon the analysis of the gasolinewith respect to its water content and other impurities that wouldinhibit the gasoline from being absorbed into the final blend.

Nitromethane is used as a fuel in motor racing, particularly dragracing, as well as for rockets and radio-controlled models (such ascars, planes and helicopters) and is commonly referred to in thiscontext as “nitro.” The oxygen content of nitromethane enables it toburn with much less atmospheric oxygen.

4CH₃NO₂+3O₂, 4CO₂+6H₂O+2N₂

The amount of air required to burn 1 lb (0.45 kg) of gasoline is 14.7pounds (6.7 kg), but only 1.7 lb (0.77 kg) of air is required for 1 lbof nitromethane. Since an engine's cylinder can only contain a limitedamount of air on each stroke, 8.7 times more nitromethane than gasolinecan be burned in one stroke. Nitromethane, however, has a lower energydensity: Gasoline provides about 42-44 MJ/kg whereas nitromethaneprovides only 11.3 MJ/kg. This analysis indicates that nitromethanegenerates about 2.3 times the power of gasoline when combined with agiven amount of oxygen.

Alkyl nitrates (principally 2-ethylhexyl nitrate) are partially utilizedto raise the cetane number and can be used as an ignition-enhancingadditive and are known to reduce emissions from gas engines; however,the mechanisms by which the emissions reduction occur are notunderstood.

Depending on the deflagrative combustive value of the base stabilizingfuel component, the proportion of the detonative fuel component can bemodified to provide less or more of the total “bang” to make thecombined dynamically stable fuel's performance match that of whateverfuel that an engine is designed for. In a solution in which the basestabilizing fuel component is methanol and comprises about 60% of thesolution, it can be determined that the base stabilizing fuel componentprovides about one-half of the combustive energy in deflagrative form,and the “cage” detonative fuel component provides the other half of thecombustive energy in detonative form. Matching the solution desired thusrequires calculating the relative energy which is being replaced by thedetonative fuel component, until the new combination equals the energyperformance of the target fuel to be replaced.

The combined, stabilized, hygroscopic fuel mixture can be envisioned asa dynamically-stable liquid in which each of the detonative componentmolecules exists in a cage whose bars are made of the molecules of ahomogenous solvent with a relatively high dipole moment. For example,acetone has a dipole moment of about 2.88 D. Methanol, ethanol, andother low alcohols (e.g., having four or less carbons) have a dipolemoment of about 1.65-1.7 D. This dynamically-stable fuel unit, becauseof its structure and mixture of deflagrative and detonative reactionswhen combusted, has more energy than the calorimetric measurements inKcal or BTU of the individual components because at least a portion ofthe fuel is detonated in the confined space of an engine. If ignited inthe open, the detonative effect rapidly dissipates as the dispersivelimit of the supersonic wave disperses the deflagrative aspect beyondthe sustainable detonative limit. In other words, the chain reaction canbe maintained within the confines of the engine, but would be unlikelyto continue in the open.

This cage is formed by the dynamically-moving molecules of asingle-component, high-dipole-energy, dense solvent such as methanol (ora mixture of alcohols to adjust the vapor pressure or other parametersfor the engine intended). In the simplest case we have a synthetic, noncrude-oil based fuel, including two defined components, a solute (thecage) and a solvent (e.g., methanol, ethanol, butanol, propanol, theirisomers, or a combination thereof), and the detonative fuel component.In one embodiment, the fuel mixture may be quite unlike a mixture suchas gasoline or diesel, made from thermal distillation of crude oil thatprincipally contains unknown proportions of hydrocarbons with chains andother structures (e.g., aromatics) of 4 to 80 carbons each.

For any internal combustion engine, once it is manufactured its optimalcharacteristics are built-in. True, there may be post-productionefficiencies reached through improving the engine's environment (e.g.,lighter or more aerodynamic vehicle bodies, for example). Yet, thiscannot readily be done for engines which are already in use. For thisinstalled base, one route to improvements in efficiency lies in changingthe fuel which they bum. For any given design of an internal combustionengine there is an optimal operating combination of temperature andcompression pressure. For any given fuel burned in an ICE, there is anoptimal combustion efficiency so much, and no more, of the fuel's heatof combustion will be transformed by the engine into work. The rest ofthe heat produced is considered to be “waste heat” that will change thetemperature of the environment-specifically, the engine's temperature.Conventional wisdom generally teaches that this waste heat should beradiated away.

It is of great importance and value to maintain the operatingtemperature of the reaction in the ICE and keep the heat of combustionhigher than that which would be produced through combustion of theadditive's compositional elements alone. This is against theconventional wisdom that a higher heat of operation of the ICE wouldmean a greater loss of combustion efficiency, since a higher observedtemperature indicates a lower thermal efficiency, as it correlates to alower proportion of the combustive heat energy being translated intowork.

Both of these differences are explainable by recognizing that thedetonative component additive's function was such that the loss ofcombustive thermal energy was more than made up for by the release ofexplosive or detonative potential energy, but only when the correctproportions of components and optimal operating conditions (e.g.,temperature and pressure) were present. In other words, it appears thatthe so-called “waste energy” was being used by reactions of thedetonative additive within the combustion of the base combustive fuelcomponent, which released a greater potential source of energy theexplosive or detonative potential of the detonative fuel component whichwas being added to the combustive energy.

Testing, both under controlled conditions using a dynamometer and in thereal world through on-the-road usage, was conducted to evaluate andbetter understand the performance of the fuel blend composition(s).Differences between predicted and expected values, provided significantdata and understanding. Furthermore, variations in the internalcombustion engines used (e.g., car, light truck, semi, diesel, andgasoline), assisted in better understanding the compositions' effects.Linear extrapolation from any one field (e.g., thermal efficiency of thecombustive fuel, explosive potential of subordinate compounds, solvencyand miscibility reactions, ICE design) did not predict the results ordata, as these extrapolations did not incorporate any of the developing,deeper comprehension of the behavior of the fuel blends and mixture'scompositions.

Further experimentation has disclosed not just a composition for a fuelunit that produces superior efficiency to that available throughcombustive processes alone, but also insight into possible underlyingprocesses giving rise to this result. What has been observed stronglysuggests that this is a synergistic reaction—one, that is, where theinteraction of two or more substances produces a combined effect greaterthan the sum of their separate effects.

Thus, one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a fuel unit tobe used in an internal combustion engine that establishes and maintainsa stable operating threshold temperature and pressure. This fuel unitcomprises a base combustive fuel which contains separate phase watersuch as, for example, gasoline, diesel, biodiesel, jet fuel such as, forexample, JP1, JP2, JP3, JP4, JP5, JP6, JP7, JP8, JP9, JP10, Jet A, JetA-1, or Jet B, avgas, ethanol, methanol, butanol, naphtha, any othersuitable combustive base fuel, or combinations thereof, to which isadded a fuel additive including a mixture of both a core polar materialand a stabilizing and enhancing combustive mixture. The core polarmaterial includes a detonative component such as, for example,nitroalkanes such as, for example, 2-ethylhexyl nitrate, dinitromethane,or trinitromethane, IsoOctane, acetone, acetone peroxide, any othersuitable detonative component, or combinations thereof, and may have asimilar composition as the detonative fuel components described above

It is believed that the polar protic and polar aprotic components serveto encapsulate or cage the explosive and unstable nitro-alkane componentas well as the water molecules which arise from the base combustivefuel. Polar protic components, in accordance with various embodiments,can include, for example, methanol, ethanol, butanol, n-propanol, anyother suitable polar protic compound, or combinations thereof. Polaraprotic components, in accordance with various embodiments, can include,for example, acetone, nitromethane, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, anyother suitable polar aprotic compound, or combinations thereof.

The stabilizing and enhancing combustive mixture may contain someproportion of a stabilizing yet combustive compound, at least onenonpolar molecule such as, for example, petroleum distillates such as,for example, liquefied petroleum gas, naphtha, kerosene, jet fuel,diesel, heavy fuel oils, or lubricating oils, benzene derivatives suchas, for example, phenol, toluene, aniline, or biphenyls, any othersuitable nonpolar molecule, or combinations thereof and anexplosion-enhancing compound such as, for example, IsoOctane, a nitroalkane such as, for example, nitromethane or nitroethane, any othersuitable explosion-enhancing compound, or combinations thereof). Thestabilizing combustive compound enables separate storage and shipmentwithout hazard of explosion, the nonpolar compound enables the corepolar material to be maintained and dispersed in the fuel blendresulting after mixture with the base combustive fuel. The nonpolarcomponent is believed to overcome the base combustive fuel's miscibilitylimitations to increase the explosive potential when the synthetic fuelis used in an ICE. The fuel blend may be referred hereinafter to as ahygroscopic synthetic fuel, although it will be understood that the basecombustive fuel does not necessarily have to come from a syntheticsource (e.g., it may be diesel, gasoline, or any other petroleum fuelderived from crude oil processing).

At the moment of peak compression the ICE initiates deflagrativecombustion of the base combustive fuel (which in the preferredembodiment is a petroleum-based fuel that contains separate phasewater). This deflagration is believed to immediately initiate andsustain a solvation reaction between compounds from the stabilizing andenhancing combustive mixture and the core polar material. Together, thedeflagrative combustion and solvation reaction enable a detonative orexplosive reaction of the nitro-alkane compound, and thus release theexplosion potential energy contained within the nitro-alkane compound.

It is believed that the combination of the stabilizing and enhancingcombustive mixture and core polar materials, along with the waterabsorbing component, as well as the combination of these with the basecombustive fuel for all of the nitro-alkane and polar protic and aproticcompounds present, produces a dynamic molecular “cage” (e.g., as shownin FIG. 1) in the resulting solution or mixture that isolates andcontains, and thus stabilizes, the potentially explosive nitro-alkanecompound and water molecules while in storage or transport. Theproportions and volumes disclosed herein are such that even while theparticular molecules forming the “bars” of the cage may swap with theirpeers through ordinary molecular dispersion and motion, the ongoingchemical reactions will maintain a stable dispersion and structure ofthe nitro-alkane compound within the synthetic fuel until the syntheticfuel is used in the ICE.

When a unit of synthetic fuel (e.g., base combustive fuel with water,core polar material, and stabilizing and enhancing combustive mixture)is used in an ICE, it is believed that at least one quarter of the wasteheat from combustion of the base combustive fuel and stabilizing yetcombustive compound(s) will synergistically supply the heat required foran endothermic solvenation reaction between the polar protic and aproticcompounds. It is believed that initially, the endothermic solvenationreaction may not involve the nitro-alkane compound. This endothermicsolvenation may occur via a concerted mechanism (e.g., a mechanism thattakes place in one step, with bonds breaking and forming atsubstantially the same time) at the balanced ratio of heat and pressurewithin the ICE's optimal operating temperature and power-strokecompression ratio and timing (more heat, less pressure; lower heat, morepressure). This endothermic solvenation then synergistically facilitatesdetonation of the nitro-alkane compound which responds at that sameheat/pressure combinations that a detonation or explosion occurs,thereby releasing the explosive potential energy of the nitro-alkanecompound. It is this released explosion potential energy which, becauseit is significantly greater than the thermal combustive energy availableshould the nitro-alkane compound just be burned, supplements themechanical energy created from the thermal processes.

For example, in some embodiments, at standard pressure, i.e., one (1)atmosphere, combustion of the base fuel and stabilizing compound can beignited by increasing temperature in the combustion chamber of the ICEto at least, for example, 43° C. or higher to reach a flash point of thefuel. Combustion of the base fuel and stabilizing compound then providessufficient thermal energy to maintain a temperature of 43° C. or higherto initiate and sustain the endothermic solvenation reaction, therebyreleasing the nitro-alkane, which, in some embodiments, can detonate ata temperature as low as 38° C.

It is believed that the dipole moment of the polar protic compound(e.g., methanol) holds together the “cage” that stabilizes thenitro-alkane compound and the water molecule until the moment ofcombustion. Further, the polar protic compound is present instoichiometric ratios with other subordinate components of the syntheticfuel such that they will react with each other (e.g., in pairs) and thecore polar material to synergistically engage in solvenation ofpositively charged spe

cies via the negative dipole of the aprotic compounds (e.g., acetone andnitromethane), thereupon enabling a detonative or explosive release ofthe nitro

alkane from the dynamic molecular cage, creating a pressure wave thatprogresses at a detonation velocity estimated to be about 18 times thatof the combustion wave, or an explosive wave that is about 100 times ormore that of the combustion wave. The momentum is transferred to thecombustive and explosive reaction products and to the cylinder andpiston head, driving the resultant power stroke with some combination ofthe thermal and explosive energies. Precise timing and interim molecularrecombination and responses of explosive products are generally not ofconcern so long as there is a predictable and measurable energy releaseas there is with the synthetic fuels.

The observed effect of this hygroscopic synthetic fuel is a release ofmore energy within the ICE than can be accounted for through a strictthermal energy accounting of the combustive potential of each of thesynthetic fuels component's combustive potential. This is not to beunderstood as impossibility, but as probative evidence that a previouslyunknown factor or reaction is present. In other words, other effectshappen within the synthetic fuel than mere combustion.

The energy yield per gram of TNT when exploded is 4,184 joules, which isfar greater than the 2,724 joules generated by combustion of TNT. In acomplex reaction, as long as the decomposition energy from a firstprocess (e.g. combustion) exceeds the activation energy of a secondprocess (e.g. explosion) and the proximal presence of the components andtheir condition are maintained, the chain is sustainable2

While most combustion is heat generating (exothermic), even an explosivereaction that is endothermic is sustainable as long as that heat isavailable in the environment. This is believed to occur with and in thepresent invention, wherein heat from combustion enables the subsequentsolvation and explosive reactions.

The power stroke of the ICE provides two buffers for the resultingexplosion. First, the combustion products of the primary fuel arepresent at several orders of magnitude greater mass than the products ofthe explosion. So the kinetic energy of the explosion of thenitro-alkane compound is “cushioned” even as it contributes to anincrease in velocity and thus kinetic energy of the combustion products.The second buffering arises from the movement of the piston which in thepower down stroke creates a larger volume in the cylinder, thus allowingthe detonation or explosion to occur without creating a “knock”, as thedirection of the movement of the piston allows the desired expansion ofvolume.

What is claimed is:
 1. A fuel additive comprising: a compound for addingto a base fuel to provide the base fuel with (1) hygroscopic propertiesand (2) detonative potential energy, the compound including: a polarprotic agent in an amount from about 2% to about 10% by volume of thecompound; a polar aprotic agent in an amount ranging from about 10% toabout 32% by volume of the compound; an explosive agent in an amountranging from about 15% to about 32% by volume of the compound; and anonpolar agent in an amount ranging from about 2% to about 10% by volumeof the compound.
 2. The fuel additive of claim 1, wherein the polarprotic agent includes one of methanol, ethanol, butanol, n-propanol, orcombinations thereof.
 3. The fuel additive of claim 1, wherein the polaraprotic agent includes one of acetone, nitromethane, ethyl acetate,dichloromethane, or combinations thereof.
 4. The fuel additive of claim1, wherein the explosive agent includes one of nitroalkanes such as, forexample, 2-ethylhexyl nitrate, dinitromethane, or trinitromethane,IsoOctane, acetone, acetone peroxide, or combinations thereof.
 5. Thefuel additive of claim 4, wherein the detonative agent is 2-ethyhexylnitrate.
 6. The fuel additive of claim 1, wherein the nonpolar agentincludes one of petroleum distillates such as, for example, liquefiedpetroleum gas, naphtha, kerosene, jet fuel, diesel, heavy fuel oils, orlubricating oils, benzene derivatives such as, for example, phenol,toluene, aniline, or biphenyls, or combinations thereof.
 7. The fueladditive of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional polaraprotic agent.
 8. A synthetic fuel comprising: a base fuel having afirst energy density; and a compound including: a water absorbing agentfor absorbing water from the base fuel to prevent poor combustion, andan explosive agent having a detonative energy value that is sufficientso as to provide the compound with a second energy density equal to orgreater than the first energy density.
 9. The synthetic fuel of claim 8,wherein the synthetic fuel includes about 15% to about 85% by volume ofthe base fuel and about 15% to about 85% by volume of the compound. 10.The synthetic fuel of claim 8, wherein the water absorbing agent havinga lower energy density than the first energy density.
 11. The syntheticfuel of claim 8, wherein the water absorbing agent includes one ofmethanol, ethanol, acetone, or combinations thereof.
 12. The syntheticfuel of claim 8, wherein the explosive agent includes one ofnitroalkanes such as, for example, 2-ethylhexyl nitrate, dinitromethane,or trinitromethane, IsoOctane, acetone, acetone peroxide, orcombinations thereof.
 13. The synthetic fuel of claim 8, wherein thebase fuel includes one of gasoline, diesel, biodiesel, jet fuel such as,for example, JP1, JP2, JP3, JP4, JP5, JP6, JP7, JP8, JP9, JP10, Jet A,Jet A-1, or Jet B, avgas, ethanol, methanol, butanol, naphtha, orcombinations thereof.
 14. The synthetic fuel of claim 8, wherein thecompound further comprises: a polar protic agent; and a polar aproticagent.
 15. The synthetic fuel of claim 14, wherein the polar proticagent and the polar aprotic agent form a molecular cage forencapsulating the explosive agent within the compound.
 16. A method forusing a synthetic fuel comprising: providing a synthetic fuel including:a base fuel, and a compound including a water absorbing agent and anexplosive agent; combusting the base fuel to produce mechanical andthermal energy; releasing, by an endothermic solvenation reactioninitiated by the mechanical and thermal energy, the explosive agent fromthe compound; and detonating, in the presence of the mechanical andthermal energy, the released explosive agent.
 17. The method of claim16, further comprising injecting the synthetic fuel into a combustionchamber of an engine.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step ofcombusting further comprises producing a spark from a spark plug of theengine.
 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of combustingfurther comprises pressurizing air in the combustion chamber.
 20. Themethod of claim 16, further comprising absorbing, by the water absorbingingredient, water in the synthetic fuel.